March 7/15 11:32 am - The Reading 120 Awarded UCI Status for 2015

Posted by Editor on 03/7/15
 

Sparta Cycling Inc. is proud to announce "The Reading 120", the third iteration of the Pennsylvania UCI 1.2 road race that began as the Univest Grand Prix in 1998 and continued as the Bucks County Classic in 2012.

The new race will be run Saturday, September 12th, and remain loyal to the "classic" format that made for spectacular racing the past 17 years. Departing from Reading, the race travels 70 miles through pristine, rolling countryside that surrounds the host city. It concludes with six laps of a nine-mile finishing circuit that peaks with a 2.5-mile climb up Mount Penn, past Reading's famed Pagoda historical landmark. In all, the race boasts a challenging 10,000 feet of climbing.

"After three wonderful years in Bucks County, we are delighted to bring the international excitement of UCI racing to Reading and Berks County," Reading 120 Race Director John Eustice said. "Equally as gratifying is that we have a commitment from Reading to keep the race going through 2020."

Reading has a rich cycling history, having hosted the Reading Classic, a stop on the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling, from 2006-2008. The city has also been the site of USA Cycling Junior National Championships, as well as the WEEU Cycle Series. Located in the middle of one of the richest cycling communities in the United States and bordering the Lehigh Valley, Lancaster and Harrisburg regions, the Reading 120 is sure to create interest and excitement, said past Olympic and world track champion Marty Nothstein.

"John Eustice and I have long spoken about the need to make Americans more versatile in the manner of the German, Australian and English racing stars of the UCI WorldTour," said Nothstein, who is Executive Director of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center velodrome in nearby Trexlertown. "Now our community has a UCI race that will inspire track riders to transition to the road and vice versa."

Bookending the international cycling weekend will be the Thompson Criterium of Doylestown on Sunday, September 13th, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. As it has since 2003, the races will encircle the Doylestown Arts Festival and be televised for those who can't enjoy the day-long racing action in person.

The Reading 120 will be organized by Manhattan-based Sparta Cycling, Inc., in association with ReDesign Reading, a community development corporation that reinvents economic development by employing strategic innovations.

"This is a great opportunity to showcase our community and amazing recreational assets to an international audience," said Gary Wegman, ReDesign Reading board member. "We are excited to play a role in this community effort to bring professional cycling to Reading."

For more information, visit spartacycling.com/.